~~~

Finding Elder Xue’s study is not easy. Each floor of the Apothecary is far larger than the size of the building would suggest and the long, narrow halls within almost labyrinthine. The deeper Liu Jin goes, the more he feels like he is stepping into a tiger’s den.

In several ways, that would be safer.

“It is not often that I find myself surprised.”

Liu Jin stands before Elder Xue. There are no seats in her study, nor are there books or documents anywhere to be seen. Glass cabinets full of ingredients and tools line the walls, almost pushing against each other. Despite the temporal talismans placed on them, the room smells strongly of herbs and potions, evidence of the work done here.

On the furthest end of the room, there are furnaces of all shapes and sizes. Some shine like gold, while others seem to suck the light around them. Numerous long tables take up most of the space. On them, there are pills, elixirs, and other concoctions, all in various stages of development. One has what seems to be magma floating above it. It changes colors every five seconds, and it is what Elder Xue was working on when he came in. Floating in the air, alongside the flames used to illuminate dark areas, are talismans that separate the space between each table, ensuring no contamination occurs.

People may call this Elder Xue’s study, but it would be more accurate to call it her laboratory. Under happier circumstances, Liu Jin would enjoy being here. There is clearly much he could learn if only he could look around.

Right now, he cannot will his body to look away from Elder Xue.

“To accuse an Elder of the Eternal Flame Clan of something absolutely horrible—” Elder Xue’s smile is sharper than any knife. Her dark eyes sparkle like gemstones. “It is not something we can take lightly. Do you understand that, Disciple Qing?”

Liu Jin inclines his head in acknowledgment.

“This one does, Elder Xue. This disciple thought about it much before coming here.”

“Is that so?” Her head tilts to the side. The motion is slight yet impossibly predatory. “Normally, one would make a report to the Division of Internal Disputes. That is, after all, why they exist.”

The derisiveness in Elder Xue’s tone makes her feelings about that division of the Eternal Flame Clan perfectly clear.

“However, you sought me out instead. Did you do so because you feared they would not trust the words of a mere Inner Disciple?”

She is testing him.

By asking him that question, Elder Xue has given him a way to excuse his actions, one last chance to turn back. However, that is undoubtedly a trap. Elder Xue knows why he came to the Eternal Flame Clan. How could she think he does not understand the implications of his actions?

If she is asking this, it is to test his resolve and nothing else.

“Not at all, Elder Xue.”

“Oh?”

A single snap of her fingers. That is all it takes for the floating magma behind her to come alive. It shoots into the floor, making Liu Jin take a step back in surprise. However, he need not have bothered. The magma doesn’t burn anything but rather takes the shape of an obsidian throne behind Elder Xue.

“Explain yourself then.” She sits on the throne. He is left to stand. She is an Emperor. He is not. “Why is it that you came to me?”

Liu Jin is able to feel it this time, the pressure that compels him to tell the truth. He has been waiting for it. His muscles tense, but he forces them to relax.

“This disciple came to Elder Xue because Elder Xue is the safer option.”

There is no lie in his words. Who else could Liu Jin have gone to? Lady Ling is an unknown and far too willing to threaten him. Feng Zhi was an option, yet the situation with Feng Hao and Feng Zhi’s own standing in the Eternal Flame Clan makes him a weak choice. Both were far too risky for Liu Jin to ever pick them. Meanwhile, going to anyone in Lord Feng Shang’s faction or not doing anything was simply out of the question.

It could only be Elder Xue. Certainly, she knows far more about him than he’d like, and this will almost surely put him further under her scrutiny. However, all the other alternatives carried far more risks than Liu Jin is comfortable with. It is as his Master said. He enjoys control and safety.

In that regard, this choice is the safest.

“Elder Xue is someone who understands this disciple’s goals. When Elder Xue learned of them, she said the Apothecary is suitable for someone like me. I do not believe those words were a lie.”

“Impressive.” Elder Xue places an elbow on the armrest and leans back. “Usually, it takes a few tries for someone your age to control their words so well, but by all means, do go on.”

Liu Jin fights the urge to smile. Of course, she’d see through it. That is fine. From the beginning, he never had any intentions of deceiving her.

“Had I gone to Internal Disputes alone, my words may not have been taken seriously. That much is true, but that is not what stopped me from doing so. Rather, it was because I feared they would believe me that I did not go there. After all, if what this disciple suspects is true, then Elder Cheung will surely lose his position.”

“That is the most likely possibility,” Elder Xue says, her tone mild yet her anticipation almost palpable. Something tells Liu Jin that, whether Elder Cheung is innocent or not, Elder Xue will do her utmost to remove him from his position should the evidence prove convincing enough.

The possibility of taking over the Medical Pavilion is simply too tempting.

“If the Division of Internal Disputes is the one who brings Elder Chueng’s misdeeds to light, they will be in a position to decide who will take over the Medical Pavilion. Such a scenario is not one I wish to see.”

Liu Jin pauses for a moment. He wills his heart to slow down, his body not to sweat, and his lungs not to overexert themselves.

Being in the presence of an Emperor is far too trying for his tastes.

“Elder Xue is someone who understands my goals. That is not something that can be said of anyone else in the Eternal Flame Clan.”

“So it all comes back to the Storm Dragon Empire.” Elder Xue chuckles softly. The flames floating in the ceiling cast shadows on her face. “How odd it is to see someone so talented so attached to a fallen nation. Did you take the name Qing to remind yourself of your purpose?”

Liu Jin cannot lie.

“That is so, honorable Elder.”

That is not the same thing as having to give away every last detail of the truth.

“How touching. Regardless, your concerns are not unfounded. Full control over the Medical Pavilion is not something that can be taken lightly. If Lord Feng Shang were to gain it, I daresay you will never see an end to the war in the Storm Dragon Empire. He considers the stalemate there a favorable state of affairs, and there are many who agree with him. By taking advantage of the chaos, we have obtained quite a few resources from that place.”

“And yet, Elder Xue does not seem fond of Lord Feng Shang.”

“Lord Feng Shang lacks boldness,” she says. Her eyes flick over to many glass cabinets in the room. They are full of rare ingredients, yet it seems Elder Xue finds them wanting. “It is his meekness that has allowed the Divine Frozen Palace to gain so much authority in the Imperial Court, and his weakness that has now placed our Sect in danger of ending fourth place in the Crimson Cloud Tournament.”

Fourth place in the Crimson Cloud Tournament.

For almost any other Sect in the Crimson Cloud Empire, it would be the achievement of a lifetime. However, for the Eternal Flame Clan, reaching the Top Four is the norm. To do any worse is unthinkable. The Eternal Flame Clan has even claimed first place quite a few times throughout their history, the most recent case being the last Crimson Cloud Tournament thanks to Lord Feng Shang’s son, Feng Zhuo.

To the Eternal Flame Clan, fourth place is the worst possible outcome.

Of course, Liu Jin muses, they are only in this position because they are all sabotaging each other. Lord Feng Shang limited his choices by picking only disciples aligned with him. The Apothecary and the Armory then chose not to lend Lord Feng Shang any aid in retaliation. If the Medical Pavilion, which has so far been neutral in the conflict, were to deny Lord Feng Shang as well, the Eternal Flame Clan’s odds in the tournament would plummet.

“However, there is a difference between disapproving of Lord Feng Shang and going along with a disciple’s whims regarding our foreign policy,” Elder Xue points out, raising a single, dainty finger to point at him. “You have already given me the information and thus lost any advantages you could have had in this negotiation. Why should I support your goals?”

“This disciple never had any advantages,” Liu Jin replies with blunt honesty. “Our positions are not equal, and this disciple is not foolish enough to forget that. The only advantages this disciple has are the advantages Elder Xue is willing to allow.”

From the moment he came to Elder Xue with the information, he lost all his advantages. Trying to hold part of the information hostage until Elder Xue agreed to his terms would only work if Elder Xue allowed it. Otherwise, she would just compel the truth out of him.

Liu Jin could not afford to rely on Elder Xue being amused by his daring.

“This disciple has no demands to make of Elder Xue,” he says, bowing. “This disciple only asks for Elder Xue’s consideration in the future.”

Elder Xue leans in. There is an amused glimmer in her eyes. “You believe turning in an Elder for your own benefit requires consideration?”

“I believe offering Elder Xue the Medical Pavilion requires consideration,” Liu Jin replies, his head still bowed. “I am not presumptuous enough to demand Elder Xue support my goals, merely to recognize the size of my offering. Disciples do their jobs and are rewarded with points. If Elder Xue keeps on being satisfied with my work, then perhaps one day she will consider my request. That is all this disciple asks.”

For a moment, neither says anything. Elder Xue calmly stares at him, and Liu Jin bears the scrutiny in stoic silence.

“I am in the Third Level of the Emperor Realm,” Elder Xue says suddenly. “Elder Fa of External Relationships and Elder Dang of Internal Disputes are both in the Fourth Level of the Emperor Realm. Elder Ju of Exploration is on the Sixth.”

In other words, Elder Xue is the weakest of the four.

A difference of one or two levels does not mean much in lower realms. However, the higher one climbs, the more significant it becomes.

“The Apothecary controls much. Thus, much trust is placed in my position. Or rather, they trust that if I overstep my boundaries, the other Elders will be able to force me into complying with them.”

Elder Xue does not sound angry or ashamed as she says this. If anything, she seems amused by it.

“That is also why the Medical Pavilion is not part of the Apothecary. It is another way of limiting the power of this division. You are offering me the opportunity to make them one.”

She rises and slowly walks up to him. Liu Jin forces his body not to move even as her hand touches his cheek in a way that could almost be called maternal.

“I would be in full control of most of the resources of the Eternal Flame Clan. Normally, the other three Elders would oppose me, but due to the situation, Elder Ju is obligated to side with me against Lord Feng Shang’s faction.”

Liu Jin looks up to her. “Honored Elder, I would not have offered if I didn’t understand that much.”

He says it under the effects of her technique. The reaction is, perhaps, even more than he expected.

Elder Xue laughs.

“Oh, dear.” She wipes a tear from her eye. “It seems I have a better eye for talent than I thought. However, I do hope you have the resolve to follow through on what comes next. I’ll have the disciple you tested brought here for examination. If your suspicions prove true, we will start moving tomorrow.”

Liu Jin is taken aback.

“So quickly?”

“Since when were you under the impression we had time to waste?” Elder Xue is already making her way to the door. “Think. If you have realized this, how many other people already suspect? Time is not a luxury we have.”

She stops as she opens the door and looks back at him.

“Well? Are you not going to follow?”

There is only one answer to that question.

It is a choice Liu Jin made long before entering the room.

~~~

For sixteen hours, no one goes in or out of the Apothecary. Pan Qiu is prodded, poked, and other uncomfortable things.

The next day, Liu Jin finds himself walking into the Medical Pavilion, following Elder Xue along with other disciples from the Apothecary.

“Elder Xue!” Predictably, an Elder showing up without announcing herself is not something that can be ignored. It takes less than ten seconds for Elder Cheung to rush out to greet her. “To what do I this pleas—”

“Silence!” Elder Xue yells out. “Elder Cheung, I name you a villain! Right here, in front of all who see us, I accuse you of heretical research and taboo experimentation on your own disciples. Stand down and surrender or be struck down like the vile dog that you are! I, by my name and rank of Elder Xue, do hereby and until justice has been meted place the Medical Pavilion under my protection!”

No one speaks.

No one moves.

It is as if time itself has frozen.

Yet, that could not be further from the truth.

Without a doubt, time marches on at a merciless pace.

~~~